The sales tax in the City of Los Angeles is 10.25% as of October 2026. It went up from 9.75% on October 1, 2026, when a new countywide half-cent tax for health care, Measure ER, took effect. So a $100 purchase in the city now carries $10.25 in tax, and many neighboring cities charge 11% or more.
The rate is not one tax. Instead, it is a stack of state, local and voter-approved district taxes, and the stack differs from city to city. This guide shows how the 10.25% is built, why your total can change a few blocks away, what is taxed, and what shoppers and businesses need to do.
What is the Los Angeles sales tax rate right now
For 2026, the numbers are simple once you know where you are. The City of Los Angeles and the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County both charge 10.25%. That figure comes from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) rate table, which is the official source for every city and county in the state.
The October change came from a CDTFA special notice issued in August 2026. It lists the countywide Los Angeles rate moving from 9.75% to 10.25%, with a new tax code, on October 1, 2026. Voters approved Measure ER in the June 2026 primary by a narrow margin. Its money goes mainly to county hospitals, community clinics and public health programs.
That said, this was the second increase in two years. On April 1, 2025, Measure A replaced the older quarter-cent homelessness tax (Measure H) with a half-cent tax. That move raised the county rate from 9.5% to 9.75%.
How the 10.25% is built
Every California sale starts with a statewide base rate of 7.25%. According to the CDTFA breakdown of the sales and use tax rate, 6% of that goes to the state and 1.25% goes to local governments. Of the local piece, 1% funds city or county operations and 0.25% goes to county transportation.
Then district taxes sit on top. These are local measures that voters approved one at a time. In Los Angeles County, four of them fund LA Metro, one funds homelessness services, and the newest funds health care.
| Component | Purpose | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| State portion | State general fund and state-local programs | 6.00% |
| Local (Bradley-Burns) tax | City or county operations (1%) and county transportation (0.25%) | 1.25% |
| Proposition A (1980) | LA Metro transit | 0.50% |
| Proposition C (1990) | LA Metro transit and highways | 0.50% |
| Measure R (2008) | LA Metro transportation projects | 0.50% |
| Measure M (2016) | LA Metro transportation projects | 0.50% |
| Measure A (from April 1, 2025) | Homelessness services and housing | 0.50% |
| Measure ER (from October 1, 2026) | County health care | 0.50% |
| Total, City of Los Angeles | 10.25% |
The four transit taxes are described on LA Metro’s Local Return page. Part of each one flows back to cities for local transportation work, such as street repairs and shuttle services.
Why some LA County cities charge more
A city can add its own district tax on top of the county stack. Many in Los Angeles County have done so, usually to fund police, fire, parks or general services. However, the City of Los Angeles has not added one, which is why it sits at the county rate.
Here are current rates for several nearby cities, taken from the CDTFA table for October 2026:
| Location | Sales tax rate (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| City of Los Angeles | 10.25% |
| Unincorporated Los Angeles County | 10.25% |
| Inglewood | 10.75% |
| Burbank | 11.00% |
| Glendale | 11.00% |
| Long Beach | 11.00% |
| Pasadena | 11.00% |
| Culver City | 11.25% |
| Santa Monica | 11.25% |
| Lancaster | 11.75% |
In practice, the gap adds up on large purchases. For example, a $2,000 sofa costs $205 in tax in Los Angeles but $235 in Lancaster. Still, few people cross city lines just for that. If you are budgeting a move, our guide to the cost of living in Los Angeles puts sales tax next to rent, transport and other everyday costs.
What is taxable and what is not
California sales tax applies to sales of tangible goods. So most things you can touch and carry out of a store are taxed. But there are important exceptions:
- Groceries: food for home use is generally exempt, including produce, meat, bread and most packaged food. Measure ER does not change this.
- Hot prepared food: taxable. Under CDTFA rules, food heated above room temperature counts as hot prepared food, so a rotisserie chicken or hot soup is taxed. Restaurant meals are also taxed.
- Prescription medicines: exempt when prescribed by an authorized person and dispensed by a pharmacist. Over-the-counter remedies are usually taxable, even if the label makes health claims.
- Services: most services are not taxed. That includes haircuts, repairs billed as labor, legal advice and most professional work. However, parts sold during a repair are taxable.
- Clothing, electronics, furniture and alcohol: taxable at the full rate.
CDTFA publishes plain-language industry guides, such as its guide for grocery stores, if you need the details for a specific product.
Use tax on online and out-of-state purchases
Use tax is the twin of sales tax. It applies when you buy something for use in California and no California sales tax was charged. The rate is the same as the sales tax rate where you use the item, so it is 10.25% in the City of Los Angeles.
For most online shopping, you will not notice it. Since April 1, 2019, out-of-state sellers with more than $500,000 in yearly sales into California must register and collect the tax at checkout, according to CDTFA’s guidance on remote sellers. Large marketplaces collect it for the sellers on their platforms too.
Smaller sellers may not collect it, though. In that case the buyer owes the use tax. Individuals can usually report it on their California income tax return, which has a line for it. Businesses report it on their sales and use tax return. Vehicles are a separate case: the tax is based on the address where the car is registered, not where you bought it.
How to look up the rate for any address
ZIP codes and mailing addresses can mislead. Many addresses say “Los Angeles” but sit in an unincorporated area or in another city, and some ZIP codes cross city lines. So the safest check is the CDTFA tool.
- Go to the CDTFA sales and use tax rates page.
- Select the option to find a rate by address.
- Enter the full street address, then search.
- Note the rate and the tax area name it returns.
CDTFA also offers the full rate table as a downloadable spreadsheet, which is useful if you sell into many cities.
What businesses in Los Angeles must do
If you sell taxable goods in California, you generally need a seller’s permit from CDTFA. That applies to stores, online sellers, market stalls and temporary sellers at events. The permit itself is free, although CDTFA may ask for a security deposit in some cases.
Once registered, a business has a few ongoing jobs:
- Charge the correct rate for the location of the sale. For goods you deliver, the district tax often follows the delivery address.
- Update registers and online checkouts when rates change, as they did on October 1, 2026.
- File returns on the schedule CDTFA assigns, whether that is quarterly, monthly or yearly.
- Keep sales records and any resale or exemption certificates.
Also, businesses inside the City of Los Angeles usually need a separate business tax registration from the city’s Office of Finance. That is a city tax on the business, not a sales tax. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice, so check your own situation with CDTFA or a tax professional. For more local guides, see our Los Angeles and California hub.
Read next
- Cost of Living in Los Angeles: Rent, Food, Taxes and Budgets
- California Minimum Wage in 2026: Rates and Rules
Frequently asked questions
What is the Los Angeles sales tax rate in 2026?
It is 10.25% in the City of Los Angeles from October 1, 2026. Before that date, it was 9.75%.
Why did LA sales tax go up in October 2026?
Voters approved Measure ER, a countywide half-cent tax for health care. It added 0.5% to every rate in Los Angeles County.
Is food taxed in Los Angeles?
Groceries for home use are generally exempt. However, hot prepared food and restaurant meals are taxed at the full rate.
What is the sales tax in Los Angeles County?
The base county rate is 10.25%. Cities with their own district taxes go higher, and some, such as Lancaster, reach 11.75%.
Do I pay sales tax on online orders in Los Angeles?
Yes, in most cases. Large online sellers collect it at checkout. If a seller does not, you owe use tax at the same rate.
Have a question about this topic? Ask in the comments below. Our editors read every comment and answer questions here, and we add useful answers to the guide.
Sources
- cdtfa.ca.gov/taxes-and-fees/rates.aspx
- cdtfa.ca.gov/formspubs/l1037.pdf
- cdtfa.ca.gov/taxes-and-fees/sut-rates-description.htm
- cdtfa.ca.gov/taxes-and-fees/sales-use-tax-rates.htm
- metro.net/about/local_return_pgm
- cdtfa.ca.gov/formspubs/pub31.pdf
- cdtfa.ca.gov/formspubs/pub27.pdf
- cdtfa.ca.gov/formspubs/pub73.pdf
- cdtfa.ca.gov/industry/wayfair/general-information.htm
- cdtfa.ca.gov/industry/temporary-sellers
- homeless.lacounty.gov
- spectrumnews1.com/ca/la/politics/2026/07/10/where-la-county-s-measure-er-m…